Friday, February 10, 2006

Berlusconi on Putin

On chechnya-sl, Marco Masi has posted some excerpts from the transcript of an Italian TV show which illustrates Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's continuing advocacy of Vladimir Putin as a "truly democratic" world leader. There is something about Berlusconi's attitude to Putin that is eerily and disturbingly reminiscent of an earlier era:
Chechnya: "Russians guarantee order"

(ANSA) - ROME, 9 FEB

"In Chechnya there is the presence of the Russian Federation which guarantees public order", Berlusconi said. "There is a Chechen resistance that resorts to violence", added the Prime Minister, "and in no way does it want to open itself to a dialogue after Chechen citizens had the chance to open parties and to participate in free elections".

According to the premier "Putin is a democratic and reasonable person".

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These nice words came during a TV show where he also added: "Putin did everything that was possible to transform Russia into a true democracy."

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